“No, it wasn’t Sam.  He never touched a washtub in his life.”

“I say it was Sam,” cried Tubbs, who was almost beside himself with rage.  “And I’m going to teach him a lesson.  There, Sam Rover, how do you like that?”

As the rich youth finished, he caught the youngest Rover by the shoulder with his left hand and with his right gave Sam a slanting blow on the cheek.

“Stop!  I didn’t trip you!” exclaimed Sam; and then as Tubbs aimed another blow at him he ducked and broke loose and hit out in return.  His blow was harder and more truly aimed than he had anticipated, and it took Tubbs directly on the nose.  A spurt of blood followed, accompanied by a yell of pain, and the rich youth fell back.

“Oh! oh!  My nose!”

“You brought it on yourself,” retorted Sam.  “I didn’t——­”

“Stop! stop!  Boys, what does this mean?” came in a sudden stern voice, and in a moment more the two combatants found themselves confronted by Jasper Grinder, a new teacher.  “Fighting, eh?  How often, must you be told that such disgraceful conduct is not allowed here?  You come with me, and I’ll make an example of both of you.”

And in a moment more the two lads found themselves prisoners in Jasper Grinder’s strong grasp and being marched out of the gymnasium toward the school building proper.

CHAPTER II.

A glimpse at the past.

As old readers of this series of books know, the Rover boys were three in number, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom next, and small but sturdy Sam bringing up the rear of a trio of as bright and up-to-date a set of American lads as could be found anywhere.

The home of the lads was with their father, Anderson Rover, and their Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha, on a beautiful farm at Valley Brook, in the heart of New York State.  From this farm they had been sent to Putnam Hall, a semi-military institute of learning situated near Cedarville, on Cayuga Lake.  This was while their father had mysteriously disappeared while on an exploring tour into the heart of Africa.

At Putnam Hall the Rover boys made a number of friends, some of whom have already been mentioned in these pages, and they likewise made several enemies.  Chief among the enemies were Josiah Crabtree, a dictatorial teacher, and Dan Baxter, a bully who had done his best to make them “knuckle under” to him.

Since those first days at school many changes had taken place; so many, in fact, that but a few can be noted here.  Crabtree had been discharged, and was now in prison for trying to hypnotize a lady into marrying him.  This lady was Mrs. Stanhope, the mother of Dora Stanhope, who lived in the vicinity of Putnam Hall, and a girl of Whom Dick Rover thought a good deal.